ask (for)

Definition of ask (for)next
1
2
as in to woo
to act so as to make (something) more likely you are asking for trouble if you invite her ex to the wedding

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to request
to give a request or demand for the surgeon asked for the scalpel

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ask (for)
Verb
  • Unlike journalists seeking records through the California Public Records Act, the watchdog can compel internal agency records.
    — Julie Watts, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • But some Democrats sought to preemptively dissuade their party from using a wave election to further stack the deck in a partisan fashion.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 5 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Many of the industry’s biggest players, including hyperscalers, AI labs, and data-center developers, are advertising six-figure roles for policy wonks able to woo local communities where data centers are planned, a Semafor analysis found.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • With only five days remaining before the November election, top candidates on the Republican ticket rallied Thursday night in Hialeah for a final push to woo Cuban-American voters.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Kyle Murphy, who’s lived in Evergreen Park with his wife and child for the past two years, supported the Elementary District 124 referendum and a $115 million bond issue requested by Moraine Valley Community College.
    — Elena Tittel, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Megan Katz, a librarian in West Hollywood who supported the registry and other antidiscrimination protections, requested a change in the new ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting.
    — Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Anthropic has invited banks, wealth managers and other financial services companies to help shape these future capabilities.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The announcement comes one day before Rossum will appear at Raising the Prevention Generation, an invite-only event for survivors, allies and advocates, co-hosted by WME and RAINN.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Mountbatten-Windsor was also ordered to move out of the Royal Lodge, his longtime home in parkland near Windsor Castle.
    — Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Israel ordered residents to evacuate the gunmen's neighborhood and closed roads into and out of Hebron.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ask (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ask%20%28for%29. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster